Secrets from the Eating Lab Book Website

Working with Professor Traci Mann on her new website was a really fun experience. Traci is a Professor of Psychology at the University of Minnesota and has spent years and years doing fun research (with M&Ms and marshmallows!) on diets, weight loss, and the role food has in our lives. Her new book is a compilation of that research and as fun to read as her studies are to take part in.

While Traci knew she needed a good website for her new book (her publisher and marketer told her so!) she didn’t know where to begin or what to do. So I started by answering all of her questions and walking with her through my project brief. Then we walked through my steps to creating a new website and pretty soon we had her new site all ready to eat go!

The new book is all about debunking a lot of myths in the weight-loss world, so we decided to make the homepage a great intro to the questions you’ll find answered in the book. Hover states on all of the questions/answers provide an immediate level of interaction for the viewer while also telling them what the book is about.

From there we played on the candy theme in the book cover and themed each page to use its own bright color. The site also features custom features so that Traci can easily add upcoming events, blog posts, and book reviews by herself. As Dr. Mann’s book explodes onto the wellness scene and her work garners more and more attention she has a website built to give readers an easy way to get ancillary information and buy the book!

Traci MannAuthor, Professor of Psychology
Brad is an incredible designer. My book’s website is exactly what I wanted, even though I couldn’t even begin to articulate what I wanted before talking to Brad. But somehow he was able to elicit preferences and opinions from me with his project brief process, and he came up with three distinct design concepts for me to consider. (Other designers I interviewed would only create one.) Plus, he didn’t run for the hills when I ultimately gave him a near impossible request: I asked him to create a website that would come across as trustworthy, scientific, warm, approachable, beautiful, and quirky. Those are not things that usually go together. But he found a way. (Three ways, actually!) Not only is the website all of those things and more, but he finished it faster than he promised, and he was great to work with. I am so glad I hired Brad for this project. I am absolutely delighted with the results.

Traci Mann

Brad is an incredible designer. My book’s website is exactly what I wanted, even though I couldn’t even begin to articulate what I wanted before talking to Brad. Not only is the website wonderful, but he finished it faster than he promised, and he was great to work with. I am so glad I hired Brad for this project. I am absolutely delighted with the results.

James Townsend

James Townsend, Author and Co-Owner of The Human Condition

Brad’s creative insight is easily accessible through constant communication and feedback. He’s concerned about your vision, and it shows in the final product. He has a consistent devotion to making your vision a reality.

Rolf Boone

Brad provided very clear and understandable (for those of us who are tech challenged) directions on the process, explaining the steps he would take to build and design the site, as well as the input he wanted from me, and the training involved once the site was complete. Brad, who has a sharp eye for design, ran with it and produced a great site. He does good work.

Emma Otheguy

Brad effectively translated my half-formed ideas into a beautiful website, and he gave me lots of choices and allowed plenty of feedback. He also did a great job making the web design flexible enough to evolve with my needs.

Jeff Ingber

Brad made the process of developing my web site not only painless, but positively enjoyable. His enthusiastic, “can-do” attitude permeated every discussion we had. I would recommend him to any writer looking to develop a web site!

Michael Herrod

I really can’t recommend Brad highly enough. He’s come through for us time after time, and always delivers outstanding work. His sites are beautiful and functional works of art. Brad has designed the websites for some of our biggest authors. You know he’ll deliver an amazing site, right on schedule.

Tim O’Brien

Tom Mullen

After scouring dozens of author websites I contacted Brad – because his designs are clean and tight, and he is easy to work with. From inspecting his initial concept drafts, it was clear that selecting Brad was the right move.

Dr. Robert Rosenthal

It was a pleasure to work with Brad at Apt Design. On the design front, his concepts were spot on, so we never got started on false trails. And he easily and accurately incorporated my feedback in a comfortable back-and-forth dialogue that resulted in a strong final product. I remain extremely pleased with the result.

Ona Russell

As an author, I wanted something that would showcase my books, but do so by telling a kind of story. And that is exactly what Brad accomplished. The finished product is beautiful, evocative and efficient, just like a great novel.